An active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Sunday to protest Israel's war in Gaza, according to reports and video posted on social media.
Aaron Bushnell, 25, died after being transported to a local hospital on Sunday afternoon, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) told Newsweek via email.
"My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide," he says in a video of the incident. "I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it's not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal."
The video shows Bushnell walk up to the driveway of the Israeli embassy, set his phone down on the ground and pour an unknown liquid from a bottle over himself and ignite it while yelling, "Free Palestine" repeatedly.
Law enforcement officers are heard screaming at Bushnell to get on the ground. One points a gun at him while he is collapsed on the ground, screaming in pain.
That officer's gun remains drawn as another sprays him with a fire extinguisher. "I don't need guns, I need fire extinguishers!" one officer is heard yelling as other officers arrive on the scene.
The fire had already been extinguished by the U.S. Secret Service when firefighters arrived at the scene, D.C. Fire and EMS said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The MPD spokesperson said that officers had responded at around 1 p.m. to assist the Secret Service. The department is working with the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate the incident, the spokesperson added.
The Air Force said Bushnell was a cyber defense operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio. He had served on active duty since May 2020.
"When a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the Air Force feels it," Col. Celina Noyes, commander the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, said. "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Airman Bushnell."
Independent reporter Talia Jane wrote on X that Bushnell's loved ones gave consent for a blurred version of the video to be posted online.
He was described as "the kindest, gentlest, silliest little kid in the Air Force" by Errico, a friend who met him in 2022, according to Jane. "He's always trying to think about how we can actually achieve liberation for all with a smile on his face," Errico said.
A LinkedIn account apparently belonging to Bushnell showed he had been in the Air Force since 2020 and was most recently a DevOps engineer.
The page describes him as an "aspiring software engineer" with "a talent and passion for solving complex problems with code."
It says: "Throughout my time in the military in both leadership and followership roles, as well as prior work experience in a variety of civil roles, I have thrived in team environments and gained very good communication skills."
He was pursuing a bachelor's degree in software engineering at Western Governor's University, according to the page. He previously studied software development at Southern New Hampshire University and computer science at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Bushnell's protest comes as Israel's war on Hamas has killed about 30,000 Palestinians, The Associated Press reported, citing the Health Ministry in Gaza.
Israel declared war following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, in which about 1,200 people were killed. Israel's air and ground offensive has since driven about 80 percent of Gaza's population from their homes.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
Update 2/26/24, 3:15 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 2/26/24, 8:19 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 2/26/24, 8:49 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with information from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Update 2/24/24, 4 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from the Air Force.
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